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Baseball is a Way of Life in the Dominican Republic by Colette Weil Parrinello, FACES Magazine, April 2016, Cricket Media, Chicago, IL

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Baseball is a Way of Life in the Dominican Republic by Colette Weil Parrinello, FACES Magazine, April 2016, Cricket Media, Chicago, IL

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Baseball is a Way of Life in the Dominican Republic by Colette Weil Parrinello, FACES Magazine, April 2016, Cricket Media, Chicago, IL

Baseball is a Way of Life in the Dominican Republic by Colette Weil Parrinello, FACES Magazine, April 2016, Cricket Media, Chicago, IL

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Baseball is a Way of Life in the Dominican Republic by Colette Weil Parrinello, FACES Magazine, April 2016, Cricket Media, Chicago, IL

  1. 1. by Gloria Lannom 12  Baseball has been the heart and passion of the Dominican Republic since the 1800s. The sport is not just a pastime, but also a lifestyle. Kids and adults play in the streets, on fields, in alleys, everywhere. Astoundingly, this small country of 10 million people (the population of the state of Georgia) produces more players for U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) than any other country in the world, other than players from the United States. In fact, 10.3 percent of all the players in the major leagues, 25 percent of the upper minor league rosters, and nearly half of the lower minor rosters come from the Dominican Republic. Dominican’s baseball roots started in Cuba. In 1866, American sailors brought the game to Cuba. When Cubans fled to the Dominican Republic after the Ten Years’ War, the game was passed to Dominicans and their passion for “beisbol” exploded. Workers in the sugar cane fields formed baseball teams for entertainment. The sport turned competitive with neighboring countries in the 1920s and the Dominican Baseball League was born. The sport weathered a financial downturn in 1937 and professional baseball emerged in 1951. Ozzie Virgil, Sr. was the first Dominican-born player in the MLB in 1956. Passion, Economics, and Training But why are there so many professional baseball players from this small country? The answer lies in a combination of factors contributing to the success of Dominican players in the MLB — passion, economic need, and training infrastructure. The Dominican Republic is a poor country with 37 percent of the population living below the poverty level. Kids love the sport and see baseball as a respected way out of poverty. Baseball is a Way of Lifeby Colette Weil Parrinello Play ball! Baseball is the most popular sport in the country.
  2. 2. 13 Famous Dominican players such as Albert Pujols and Pedro Martinez bring pride and respect to all Dominicans, and serve as role models for the whole country. They demonstrate Dominican power, speed, grace and joy of the game. Along with their outstanding accomplishments of elite athleticism, fame, and fortune, they have also given back to their local communities. The sport thrives because the passion and talent are groomed. Kids regularly drop out of school to play. The number of Dominican players in the MLB skyrocketed in the 1980s when MLB teams started building professional training academies. To acquire a player in the Dominican is far cheaper for MLB teams than in the United States. Dominican players are not subject to the U.S. player draft. Today, all 30 MLB teams have an academy in the Dominican. Academies provide training, food, nutrition, education, and housing to nurture young talent. At age 16 Dominican teens can try out for the MLB team academies and earn a signing bonus if they make it on a team. The average annual 2015 income in the Dominican was $6,040. In 2011, the average academy signing bonus was $131,000 — and ranges today from a few thousand dollars to over a million. This is a tremendous boon for the young player and his family that may now be able to buy a house, car, pay for healthcare, or fund a business. And, this is before they have made it to the United States. The young player is not eligible for U.S. MLB teams until age 18. An MLB team can acquire many young Dominican players for around the price of one second round draft pick in the United States Talent is identified and nurtured at early ages by buscones. Buscones are independent scouts or agents who will find players or have talent come to them. When the player is ready, the buscon will contact the MLB team scouts, if the team scouts haven’t already seen the prospect. The business of baseball is a source of pride for communities and gives them an economic boost. Successful players return to invest in their local towns. Academies have brought new construction and jobs. Local people are employed for the services in the academies on the grounds, in coaching, education, food service, and maintenance. Local small A coach assesses the latest group of players. Dominican players hope their hard work pays off with an offer from a Major League team.
  3. 3. Fast Facts: • The impact of MLB academies in the Dominican Republic is that 400-500 players are signed every year. • Twenty-seven of the 30 MLB academies are located in eastern Dominican Republic between the resort town of Boca Chica and San Pedro Macorís. businesses serve the needs of the player’s family, buscones, academy employees, and visitors to the academies. Kids see baseball as hope for a change in their lives. They are motivated by their deep enjoyment of the game and the opportunities that the game may offer. The infrastructure of buscones and the MLB academies helps make this a reality for many, and the successful athletes are a source of national pride. Colette Weil Parrinello is a frequent writer for magazines. She loves baseball, the San Francisco Giants, and is a co-regional advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Pedro Martinez was treated to a hero’s welcome after it was announced he had been elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2015. The baseball diamond . . . the stuff of dreams. 14 

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